Paper crinkle cup separating device



May 24, 1960 H. w. MULLER 2,937,786

PAPER CRINKLE CUP SEPARTING DEVICE Filed May 16, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Ui fyi? FIG.3.

INVENTOR. Henry W. Muller .AT TORNE Y May 24, 1960 E H. w. MULLER2,937,736

' PAPER CRINKLE CUP SEPARATING DEVICE Filed May 16, 195'? 2 Sheets-Sheet2 INVENTOR Henry W. Muller IIIII W f im AIN FIG. 4.

fmII" ATTORNEY United States Patent F PAPER CRINKLE CUP SEPARATINGDEVICE Filed May 16', 1957, Ser. No. 659,624

2 Claims. (Cl. 221211) This invention relates to a paper crinkle cupdropping machine and more particularly to the device for separating theindividual crinkle cups from the vertical stack of nested inverted cups.

These paper crinkle cups are formed of thin parchment paper and aregenerally of frusto-conical shape and with the side wall thereof taperiluted throughout its full height. A vacuum head picker is ordinarilyused in the cup dropping machine for picking the lowermost cup from thestack of inverted nested paper cups and turned when withdrawn from underthe stack with the paper cup to invert the cup andl to drop it on a trayfor baking molds lying on a slow moving conveyor and into which the cakeor biscuit batter is poured by filling machines thereby makingunnecessary the manual handling of these cups. With the picking headsused, heretofore, certain small number of the paper cups are noteiectively removed and they become jammed, distorted or torn and have tobe removed from the stack or from the trays and replaced with a cup byhand. The flutes of the cup become bent or torn with the ordinary headwhen passing downwardly through the stack supporting ring.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention toprovide a device for separating individual paper crinkle cups from anested stack in' which the cups will be adequately drawn about thepicking head by suction so that there are few, if any, of the cups thatbecome jammed or torn when being removed from the stack and dropped uponthe trays or into the baking mold tins.

It is another object of the invention to provide in a device forseparating individual crinkle cups a stack supporting ring having a topface angled radially so that the edges of the cup will be more readilyreleased from beneath the stack and be made more free for theirengagement with the side of the picker head.

It is still another object ofthe invention to provide in a device forremoving individual crinkle paper cups from a stack a picker head thatconforms in exact shape throughout its periphery to the crinkled orfluted wall of the cup and has uted projections throughout its entireperiphery.

It is a further object of the invention to provide in a device forseparating uted paper cups from a vertical stack of nested cups, apicker head in which the suction air passages constitute an externalannular groove at the mid-elevation point of the wall of the fluted cupto assume the major suction action and draw the wall of the cup equallytherearound and wherein there are individual openings leading to therespective flute troughs of the head so that each iiute of the cup isdrawn in addition and at a lower elevation in the large aring of theflutes whereby to insure the full withdrawal of the cup from the stackand the individual liutes of the cup or glove t engagement of the cupwith the picker head whereby the cup may be removed from the stackwithout interference from the concentric stack supporting ring.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide 2,937,786Patented `May 24,19'60 in a device for separating individual crinklecups `from a stack of inverted nested cups in which the supporting stackring has a plurality of inclined air holes entering the inclined topface of the supporting ring adjacent to the inner peripheral edgethereof and wherein these holes are of the same number as the number ofilutes on the cup whereby equal air pressure is individually directedagainst each of the utes of the cups to provide equal separatingpressure ofthe air about the full periphery of the cup and equal liftingair pressure suppliedfto the remaining cup stack.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a device for separatingcrinkle cups from the stackY of a cup dropping machine, having theabove. objectsA in mind, which is of simple construction, inexpensive tomanufacture, has a minimum number of parts, easy to assemble andrdisassemble, free of wear, effective andeliicient in use. f

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to thefollowing detail description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, in which Figure l is a vertical sectional view of one form ofthe device with the picker head positioned preparatory to its verticalmovement into the bottom of the stack of cups to engage the lowermostcup,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view with the picker head extendedinto the stack and with the lowermost cup having been separated from thestack by air pressure from the supporting ring and the suction from thepicker head,

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View showing the lowermost cup retractedfrom the stack of cups and this stack of cups again seated on the stacksupportingv `ring, with theV cup drawn tight upon the picker head,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the picker headinverted and in the process of dropping the cup into a baking mold tin,

Fig. Sis a transverse sectional view taken throughthe picker head online 5-5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a top perspective view of the stacksupporting ring, y

Fig. 7 is a top perspective view of the flutedpicker head and cupadhered thereto and broken away to show portions of the picker head topand side wall faces,

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modilied form of theinvention in which a different type stack of supporting ring is used,the view being taken generally on line 8 8 of Fig. 9,

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view of the device as viewed on line9-9 of Fig. 8,

Fig. 10 is a top perspective view of a fragment ofthe stackY supportingand base ring assembly showing the centering projection for holding thestack of cups against rotationupon the stack supporting ring, and

Fig. l1 is a transverse sectional view similar to Fig. 5 of a pickerhead shaped to receive and retain a squareshaped crinkle cup havingfluted corners.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1 to '7, 1S represents a base ringupwardly from which verticalguide rods 16 extend. There are four ofthese rods angled ninety degrees apart about the base ring 15. Fitted`into the bottom of the base ring is a stack supporting ring 17 having anopening 18 through which a lowermost cup 19 may be Withdrawn from avertical stack of such cups lying4 thereabove and normally supported onthe stack supporting ring 17. This ring 17 tightly lits the 'innerperiphery of the base ring 15 and has an annular groove 21 into whichair is delivered under pressure by a nipple 22. The ring 17 has radiallydownwardly and outwardly inclined or conical top face 23. Extending fromthe groove to the inner'periphery edge of the top face Z3 area pluralityof inwardly and upwardly inclined air holes 24 corresponding in numberto the number of flutes of the paper crinkle cups 19 so that air may bedirected into and along the respective flutes of the cup. This airpressure is supplied at the time the lowermost cup is to be removed tocause the cup side wall to be fully deposited upon the side wall of thepicker head 25 and to hold the stack of cups while the lowermost cup isremoved. A

The picker head 25 conforms in shape identically to the cup and has aplurality of parallel utes 26 thereon corresponding in exact number tothe number of utes of the crinkle cup 19. This picker head has a centralchamber 27 and a hollow drop ejecting member 28 having a top head 29adapted to enter a countersunk opening 30 in the top face of the head25. A stop ange 31 limits the drop movement of the ejector 28 when thepicker head is inverted to eject the cup 19 as illustrated in Fig. 4.The head 25 is threadedly connected to a hollow operating stem 32carried on a hollow shaft 33 that works the head so that it is elevatedinto the stack, and then pivoted to the down position as shown in Fig. 4to eject the paper cup. In a standard cup dropping machine there are agang of these picker heads assembled upon the shaft 33 and workedtogether. The utes 26 are tapered throughout an extent equal to thelength of the side wall of the cup but have a break therein at alocation approximately one half their tapered extent provided by anannular external groove 34 cut through the flutes and into the body ofthe picker head and from which air is drawn through six radial passages35 into the suction chamber 27. This draws the fluted side wall of thecup 19 into engagement with the iiuted side of the picker head 25.Simultaneously, the bottom of the cup is drawn against the top face ofthe picker head by air being drawn downwardly through passage 36 ofejector 28.

In order to insure that each of the ilutes of the cup are drawn smoothlyagainst the flutes 26 of the picker head 25, a series of small holes 37extend from between adjacent utes 26 of the head to the central suctionchamber 27 and corresponding in exact number to the number of utes ofthe cup whereby each individual ute of the cup will be sucked againstthe side of the picker head and maintained in control so that the headwith the cup thereon can be assured downward passage through the opening1S without the cup engaging the stack retaining ring. rl`he location ofthe small holes 37 is below the holes 35 and about half way down on thetapered utes so that suction will be effected upon the individual utesof the paper cup adjacent to their largest flaring and above the edge ofthe cup but not too close thereto. In operation, the picker head 25 ismoved upwardly through the opening 18 in the stack supporting ring 17with the suction on to grasp the cup and simultaneuosly the air pressureis turned on within the ring to separate the side walls of the lowermostcup from the remainder of the stack and to hold the stack while thelowermost cup is withdrawn. Thereafter, the picker head with the cup iswithdrawn in the manner as illustrated in Fig. 3 with the cup 19 andpivoted downwardly to a position shown in Fig. 4. The ejector 28 islowered by gravity to drop the cup 19 from the picker head 25 and into abaking mold 38 and made ready to be filled with the baking contents.Thereafter the picker head 25 is pivoted to assume again the positionshown in Fig. 1 in readiness to remove the next cup from the stack.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 8, 9 and l0, there is shown asimilar paper cup separating device in which the same uted picker head25 is used. This device is provided with a base ring 41 having upwardlyextending guide rods 42 and to which there is internally connected astack supporting ring 43 by means of radially-extending fastening screws44. This ring 43 has a main supporting face 45 angled downwardly andinwardly and conforming to an angle of approximately twenty-eightdegrees from the horizontal that is naturally formed by a stack of suchpaper cups at their lower edges. In order that this supporting face 45may not have the full load of the stack of cups there is provided a moreinclined inwardly and downwardly extending supporting face 46 thereabovewhich is angled approximately seventy degrees from the horizontal. Avertical cylindrical spacing wall 47 extends upwardly from the inneredge of the tapered surface 45 to space the inclined surface 46 from thesurface 45. In order to keep the stack of cups against turning abouttheir vertical axis within the device and to maintain their fiuted areascentered with the ilutes of the picker head 25, there is provided atapered centering projection 49 secured to the inclinedradially-extending supporting face 46 and extending upwardly against theinner wall of the base ring 41. This projection 49 thus keeps theseveral utes of the cups aligned with spaces between the utes 26 of thepicker head 25.

The operation of this latter form of the invention is generally the sameas the above described operation of the rst form of the invention exceptthat the stack of cups are handled somewhat differently. As best seen inFig. 8 the upper cups have their downward movement resisted along themore inclined face 46 so that only a limited number of the under cupsare supported on the less inclined face 4S of the supporting ring 43from which the lowermost cup 19 is taken. The angle of the face 45 issubstantially the same as the natural angle of the mass of nested cupsand preferably slightly less than this natural angle, the edge of theWall of the cup being adjacent to the inner edge of the face 45 andsubstantially free thereof so as to be readily receptive to the suctionaction of the pickel head. This is particularly so, as the stack mightbe slightly lifted by the picker head when taking the lowermost cup. Thebulk of the stack will be sustained against downward movement by thelarger angled elevated supporting face 46.

In Fig. 11, there is shown a picker head 50 adapted for a square formcup 51. This picker cup is similarly provided with an annular groove 52from which air is sucked through radially-extending passages 53 intosuction chamber 54 having an ejector 55 therein. The cup 51 is uted onlyat the corners and for each of these corners, the picker head 50 isprovided with flutes 56 corresponding in numbers to the number of flutesat the corners of the cup and below the groove 52 and communicating withthe individual spaces betweenl the flutes 56 at each corner are smallpassages 57 to make sure that the flutes of the cup are retained by thepick up head. This pick up head is used in the same manner as abovedescribed.

It should now be apparent that there has been provided an efcient andeffective separating device for use with cup dropping machines in whichall portions of the wall surface of the cup are certain to be taken intotight suction and glove fit engagement with the Wall of the picker headand wherein the picker head has the utes corresponding to the samenumber of crinkles or utes of the cup and wherein there is littleopportunity for the cup to have a loose portion that might be frayed,torn or that jamming of the device result.

While various changes maybe made in the detail construction, it shall beunderstood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of thepresent invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A paper crinkle cup separating device for cup dropping machinescomprising a cup stack supporting ring, guide means for the stackconnected thereto and lying thereabove, said stack supporting ringhaving a top supporting face and an opening through which a cup may passwhen it has been removed from the sup- 'porting face, a picker headmovable into and out of said opening in the stack supporting ring, saidpicker head having a central suction chamber and a plurality of utedportions corresponding in number to the utes of the cup and suctionopenings extending between the suction chamber and the utes of thepicker head whereby the full area of the cup wall is supported over thepicker head and the cup Vwithdrawn through the opening of the supportingring without interference therefrom, a movable ejector for the cupsoperable in the suction chamber and providing air communication with thesuction chamber with the top of the picker head to suck the bottom ofthe cup, said supporting face of the stack supporting ring beinginclined downwardly and outwardly from the peripheral edge of the ringopening, and an annular air pressure groove within the ring and aplurality of small holes extending from the groove upwardly and inwardlyand penetrating the peripheral edge of the ring supporting face andthrough which air under under pressure is forced to separate thelowermost cup from the stack of cups, said holes corresponding in numberto the number of flutes of the individual cup whereby an equalizedpressure is extended upon the wall of the cup to eiect the engagement ofthe cup with the head and tend to hold the remaining cups in the stackin suspension thereabove and separated from the lowermost cup.

2. A paper crinkle cup separating device for cup dropping machinescomprising a cup stack supporting ring, guide means for the stackconnected thereto and lying thereabove, said stack supporting ringhaving a top supporting face and an opening through which a cup may passwhen it has been removed from the supporting face, a picker head movableinto and out of said opening in the stack supporting ring, said pickerhead having a central suction chamber and a plurality of uted portionscorresponding in number to the utes of the cup and suction openingsextending between the suction chamber and the flutes of the picker headwhereby the full area of thecup wall is supported over the pickerAmovable ejector for the cups operable in the suction chamber andproviding air communication with the suction chamber with the top of thepicker head to suck the bottom of the cup, said supporting face for thestack of cups being inclined outwardly and upwardly from the edge of theopening within the ring at an angle substantially the angle generallyformed by the edges of the stack of inverted nested cups, and said stacksupporting ring has a second outwardly-extending cup sup-V porting facelying on the ring outwardly of the lower face and elevated therefrom bya vertical cylindrical face whereby the lowermost:- cups of the stackmay be separated from the bulk of the stack and supported on the lowerface while the bulk of the stack may be supported on the upper face.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,163,572 Taylor Dec. 7, 1915 1,477,501 Kennan Dec. 11, 1923 1,532,153Palmer Apr. 7, 1925 2,002,213 Adams May 21, 1935 2,411,082 Conti Nov.12, 1946 2,445,713 Glassner July 20, 1948 2,640,606 Cox June 2, 19532,738,899 Hansen et al Mar. 20, 1956 2,741,958 Bridge Apr. 17, 19562,777,602 Genich Jan. 15, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 712,337 Great BritainJuly 2l, 1954 716,791 Great Britain Oct. 13, 1954

